Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Newsmax on Friday that despite the Democrat-driven federal government shutdown, the Interior Department has been working tirelessly to keep many of America's treasured national parks open — but warned the effort can't last forever.
"When the Democrats shut down the government, then we're not allowed to use appropriated funding to keep any of our operations going," Burgum told "National Report." "So the fact that we've been able to keep the parks going is taking planning, it's taken effort, it's taken creativity."
Burgum explained that the department has been relying on recreational fees — funds paid by visitors themselves — to sustain operations during the funding freeze.
"We're pulling funds that might normally go to things like deferred maintenance," he said, stressing that such a solution is only temporary. "We can keep them open for a while. We can't keep them open indefinitely."
The Department of the Interior's plan is that roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials in national parks "will generally remain accessible to visitors" even as many staff are furloughed during the shutdown. However, many facilities — such as visitor centers, restrooms, museums, cave tours, indoor exhibits — are being closed or have limited services.
Burgum praised the outpouring of private and state support. He noted that more than 20 "Friends of the Park" groups have stepped forward with contributions, while West Virginia's governor committed state dollars to keep New River Gorge and Harpers Ferry open.
"We've got citizens stepping up, friends groups stepping up, states stepping up — all of this because of the pain inflicted on Americans by the Democrats for no political reason and no policy reason," Burgum said.
Beyond the immediate crisis, Burgum argued that the shutdown highlights the need for a modernized federal government that uses technology to deliver services efficiently.
"You can have fewer people and fewer resources but actually better services," he said. "How do you do that? You bring the federal government up to speed with modern technology and business solutions … allow citizens to interact with the government through your cellphone 24/7 with an app versus going to a government office that — like today — would be closed because the government is shut down."
Burgum called the shutdown "a big opportunity" to rethink how Washington works, comparing outdated federal processes to the way banks and states already deliver services digitally.
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